Thursday, August 1, 2013

Republican State Rep. Bruce Westerman was out of the country yesterday when word of the formal announcement of Rep. Tom Cotton's Senate candidacy put in motion a chain of related pre-announcement leaks and signals, one being that, as expected, Westerman will seek Cotton's congressional seat in the 4th District.

He posts on Facebook:

Thanks to all of you for the kind words and encouragement you have offered. I know most of you are sleeping by now, but I really appreciate all the messages and phone calls I received overnight here. Had I known about the events of the day before I left, I would have bought a bigger international phone and texting plan! If I’ve missed your call or text, I’ll try to catch up with you when I get back from Germany this weekend. There has been no official announcement of my political plans for the future and there will not be until after Congressman Cotton announces his plans.

As I was quoted in the Hot Springs Sentinel Record yesterday,

“Recognizing the critical juncture we are at as a country, I am seriously considering stepping up to ensure our conservative voice continues to be heard in Congress should Rep. Cotton decide to run for the U.S. Senate. I have been honored to receive encouragement from Arkansans across the Fourth District, as well as my colleagues in Little Rock, to join the race if it were to open up.”

“I am a lifelong resident of Garland County and my family is here. I have a good job, and I never have had the desire to live or work in Washington, but if my serving in Congress is necessary to ensure my children, and all of our children, have a brighter future and a federal government that treats us fairly, then that is a sacrifice that I would be willing to make.”

Nothing new that I can find from expected Republican primary challenger, Lt. Gov. Mark Darr.

An Arkansas anti-abortion law is a phony. It's about ending abortion, not protecting women and a New York Times writer says it could present an important case for the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Arkansas Supreme Court continues to grapple, with divisions, on how to square new federal and state law on resentencing people who got life without parole sentences for capital crimes committed when they were minors.

UAMS, pressed by financial problems for several years, told the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees today that it had a $1.5 billion operating budget that doesn't call for deficit spending.

Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Bart Virden of Morrilton, who narrowly survived attack ads by an outside partisan group supporting his opponent for re-election to a nonpartisan seat, doesn't intend to let the matter drop.

Do what Donald Trump says or leave the country. Is that the embodiment of the 1st Amendment or what?

The Arkansas Supreme Court got Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's attention at last today with its order that she comply with the law and either certify proposed ballot initiatives or propose language more acceptable to her.

Enjoy these photos from today's dedication and re-installation of a new Ten Commandments monument. The first iteration of the monument was installed last June but destroyed within the next 24 hours when it was rammed by a man in a Dodge Dart.